Oasis
by MoyaKite
Summary: In an irradiated desert after the end of the world, a small kingdom persists. The final oasis. [various pairings] [[UPDATES WEDNESDAYS]]
1. Chapter 1

The air crackled, so arid that it tasted like dust in Rei's mouth. He blamed that and not his nerves for the dryness of his mouth. He'd been born to scholars, but he'd aspired to life as a guard in the palace. A few thousand people lived in their small kingdom, but only the prince reigned above his guards.

Rei pushed up his glasses as he stood before the palace gates. He'd found them in a battered case out in the sands. Relics of a time before the war that had reduced the fertile continent to a barren desert, he'd been lucky to find a pair that helped.

A man with red hair and golden eyes slid the door open and arched an eyebrow at him.

"Captain Mikoshiba!" Rei saluted immediately. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting."

The captain's face relaxed. "Nah, you're right on time." He stepped to one side and held an arm out to welcome Rei. "Come on in."

Rei stepped inside and thought of the guard he'd seen so many years before. After witnessing the incredibly graceful takedown of an assassin while the king—may he rest in peace—had yet ruled their kingdom, he had known he would settle for no other occupation. But Captain Mikoshiba seemed to have none of the features he'd expected of a person in such an elegant role. He certainly had the muscles of a honed athlete, but he had the brash manner of a street merchant.

"The prince is taking it easy right now," Mikoshiba said, closing the door behind Rei. "Don't expect things to be this easy every day. He's had a rough week, that's all."

"I will do whatever is necessary," Rei said. He saluted again, this time so sharply that he smudged his glasses. His face grew hot as Mikoshiba laughed.

"That's the spirit." He grinned and clapped Rei on the back, pushing him down the hall. "Just keep an eye on him for now. He's entertaining guests right now."

Rei had memorized the floor plan to the entire palace in preparation for his first day. As he walked down the long halls, he mentally reviewed the protocol he'd need to follow. Always remain within arm's reach of the prince while on duty. Scan the room regularly, they'd said—so vague! Some time trials had reassured him that, with appropriate peripheral vision, one quick scan every eight seconds would ensure the best possible safety standards for his prince.

He hesitated outside the chamber where the prince invited guests—merchants of high rank, typically, although his orders had mentioned foreign dignitaries as a possibility. He heard music playing on the far side of the door, and decided to refrain from knocking. It was his _job_ to go into the room. Who had the authority to grant him permission?

Straightening his back, he slid the door open and admitted himself. Thirty or so women and men had gathered in the room, most in garb befitting people visiting royalty—save one. A dancer in an open vest and loose, flowing pants.

Rei's eyes locked onto the dancer. He had soft, blond curls and a youthful face, but only those who were of age were permitted to dance for the prince. His footwork belied his considerable training; Rei had never seen anyone move so precisely. The dance and the dancer were one—Rei had the impossible impression that the dance had come into existence just to flow through this one perfect dancer. The joy on the young man's face staggered Rei.

And then the dancer looked at him, and something like electricity sent shocks across his skin. Merely static electricity, he told himself—he'd brushed against a table and the electrons had—

The dancer wound his way over to Rei, whose breath caught. Was he supposed to speak? Was he supposed to join the dance? He would shame the dancer if he tried. Though he'd trained extensively for guard duty, he couldn't possibly dance so freely that his feet ceased to truly touch the floor.

When the dancer held out a hand, though, Rei took it.

"Hey there, handsome." The dancer winked. "I've never seen you before. I'd remember those pretty eyes."

"Rei!" he blurted. "I—I'm Rei Ryuugazaki."

"Well, I'm Nagisa." The dancer drew him toward the center of the room and beamed. "And I think you're g-_rei_-t." Nagisa cracked up and spun once in what appeared to be the purest form of delight before prodding Rei toward the wall. "I'll let you look after little Rin, though."

"Little?" Rei repeated, too stunned by the pun and the abrupt end of his dance. He looked behind him to see the incredibly unamused prince glaring at him. The realization that the entire room had been watching hit him like a bucket of cold water. "Y-your majesty," he said, immediately dropping into a bow. "I am—"

"Glasses, we all heard your name," the prince snapped. His teeth looked inhumanly sharp, and Rei gulped. "Now unless you want to pat down my dancer to 'check for a knife,' get the hell out of the way."

"Y-yessir!"

Cold sweat dotted Rei's palms as he stood at attention behind the prince. Had anyone asked him yesterday what he most wanted, he would have answered, 'to serve the king beautifully.'

But, rather than scanning the hall, his eyes remained on Nagisa. He'd seen hawks lock talons and dive to the earth below in a graceful sweep. With all his heart, he longed to take Nagisa's hands and join him in his dance.


	2. Chapter 2

As the sun set, the heat eased away from the palace. Rin would never go to bed without prodding; it had taken a lot of convincing to even get him to rest. Makoto knew how Nagisa worried about their old friend; taking up the king's mantle at such a young age had changed him. Where enthusiasm had marked his childhood studies, now a deep self-loathing seemed to skulk about the edges of his ever-increasing drive to work _harder_–to rule _better_.

"Excuse me." Makoto shot a warm smile at the cleaning boy he'd been speaking to. "I have to go attend to the prince. Go ask Ildain for some citrus—that should help your little sister feel better."

On his way to Rin's chambers, however, he spotted the young man Nagisa had been teasing all night—Rei. He stood with his back to a wall as a senior member of the guard advanced on him.

"Hey, Glasses." The senior guard sneered. "Sneaking off to sweet talk the little dancer?"

"I—I am doing no such thing." Rei pushed up his glasses, and Makoto noticed his hand shake. "The captain of the guard requested that I—"

The senior guard's face turned furious, and he shoved Rei back against the wall.

"Now, now," Makoto said, careful to keep his voice warm and soothing. "What's all the fuss about?"

"Makoto!" the guard stepped back, and Makoto finally recognized him as the rage left his face.

"Sikar." Makoto arched his eyebrows. "I didn't think _you'd_ be the one bullying our new friend."

Guilt crossed Sikar's face, and he backed down, looking at the floor. "Sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Maybe you need to go see the kitchen staff—you get a little short-tempered when you're hungry." Makoto smiled as Sikar nodded and darted away. Turning toward Rei, he sighed. "I'm sorry that happened on your first day here."

Rei pushed up his glasses again. "Such behavior is unbecoming for a guard," he said. "It is not _beautiful_ to shove people around."

Makoto chuckled. "Sikar's not ill-spirited. He just has some trouble making friends."

"I wonder why." Rei rolled his eyes, then looked Makoto up and down. "Forgive me, but I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Makoto Tachibana." He offered his hand, which Rei took. "Rei Ryuugazaki, right? New member of the guard?"

A proud grin spread across Rei's face, and he pushed up his glasses for the third time. "I see that my reputation precedes me."

"I like to keep an eye on newcomers." Makoto offered him a warm smile. "It's good to have you here, Rei."

"Th-thank you," Rei stammered. He blushed as he looked away. "If I may ask, what exactly is your role in the palace?"

"My role?" Makoto repeated. He frowned thoughtfully. "I suppose you could call me a mother hen. Most do."

"A—what?"

"I look after the people in the palace," he explained. "From the kitchen workers to the dancers to the guard to the prince himself." He rubbed the back of his head. "Someone has to make sure Rin eats and sleeps." He turned to look down the hall. "Speaking of which, I need to get him tucked in." Glancing back at Rei, he smiled. "Where were you off to?"

A crimson blush flooded Rei's face. "Captain Mikoshiba asked me to guard Nagisa's quarters until the guests have dispersed."

"He means well," Makoto laughed. "He does love to tease, though."

"Which?"

"Both."

This time, even Rei laughed. Relief coiled around Makoto's heart; he'd seen enough newcomers scared away from the palace. Rin could be...intense. He demanded perfection of himself and scorned laziness in others. Even so, humiliating Rei in front of a room full of people had been uncalled for.

"I can take you to Nagisa's quarters," Makoto offered.

"That would be much appreciated. I memorized the palace's floor plan, but I didn't make note of the dancers' quarters."

They set off down the hallway in amicable silence. Makoto thought of the absolutely enchanted expression that had taken Rei's face whenever Nagisa danced. Rei wouldn't be the first Nagisa charmed; he'd learned to dance the moment he learned to walk, and his smile could lighten the heaviest mood. Makoto turned to him whenever he needed Rin to wind down; they'd been friends since childhood.

Makoto looked sidelong at Rei. He carried himself with perfect posture, but it seemed almost mechanical—if anyone could get him to loosen up, it would be Nagisa.

When Rei caught him staring, he quickly thought of a cover. "I could use a pair of glasses, myself," he said. "Bit nearsighted."

"They're hard to come by," Rei said. "I understand the underlying principles that go into their manufacture, but the dearth of metals since the Great War has made it impossible to fashion frames, and our tools lack the precision we'd need to refine the curvature of the lenses."

Makoto sighed as he turned a corner. "I wonder what it would have been like before the Great War. A friend's grandmother—may she rest in peace—once told me that the whole world was green."

Thinking of Haru's grandmother, who had once been queen, drew his childhood friend to mind. Born to be king despite having no interest in leadership, Haru had renounced the throne to let Rin take his place. Makoto shook his head; life had been so much less complicated before then. Before Haru had left to find other oases—survivors from the Great War.

"Not the whole world," Rei corrected. "Some regions were barren even before desertification took the land."

"That was two or three hundred years ago," Makoto said, surprised. "How can you tell?"

Rei launched into a detailed explanation that brought in elements of physics, chemistry, biology, and just about every other type of science Makoto had ever heard of. As he got increasingly intent on his point, he began wildly gesticulating.

Smiling to himself, Makoto thought he might understand what Nagisa saw in him.


	3. Chapter 3

Nagisa collapsed onto his bed. He hadn't danced so long in ages, and he'd really put his back into it—that cute guard with the glasses had blushed every time he so much as twitched his hips. He'd made a big show of almost-but-not-quite lapdancing for Rei and generally teasing him until he was utterly incoherent. Most of the guards were used to his tricks by now, so they weren't half as fun to play with.

"I sure danced my butt off." He grimaced as he rubbed it. Rin seldom had him dance for more than an hour or two, so dancing for nearly five hours nonstop _hurt_. "I'm not getting out of bed for a week."

"You'll need someone to warm it, then, won't you?"

Nagisa sat up abruptly. He didn't know the name of the merchant in the doorway, but he recognized his face. He always sat as close to Nagisa as possible when he danced for Rin and his guests—and he always made the same slimeball faces.

"No thanks." Nagisa smiled. "I'm going to take up the whole bed myself."

"It certainly looks like there's room for one more."

Nagisa closed his eyes and went over his choices.

Option 1: Pretend to be oblivious to the creep's intent.

Option 2: Make it clear that, no, _seriously_, he wasn't interested.

Option 3: Lure him over, then knee him in the balls.

Option 1 would open the door to more persistence from the creep, and he might get violent if Nagisa went with Option 2. But Option 3 would get the creep into his bed and require actual physical contact with him, and, well...gross.

Nagisa opened his eyes and sighed heavily. "Nope, too tired."

"You wouldn't even have to do anything," the creep began, but then a fist closed around his arm.

"I do believe he answered you clearly." Behind his glasses, Rei's eyes had gone cold and sharp as ice. "If you need an escort to find your way out of the palace, I would be honored to assist."

The merchant attempted to yank him arm out of Rei's grasp, but he didn't budge. "I know my way out," he snapped.

"Very well." Rei released his arm and stepped between the creep and Nagisa.

The moment the creep vanished down the hallway, Nagisa sighed with relief. "Thanks," he said. "I was afraid I'd have to knee him in the balls."

The cool, tough expression on Rei's face went up in blushing flames. "I take it that this happens often?"

Nagisa shrugged, then put on a coy smile. "Were you hoping to get my autograph, handsome?"

"N-no!" Rei pushed his glasses up with jittery hands. "Captain Mikoshiba requested that I guard your quarters. If you would like, I can stand outside the closed door to offer you additional privacy."

"So you're not here to hop into bed?"

"No, thank you." His face went smooth, and the embarrassment faded. "I sleep during scheduled hours to maintain a proper routine and remain vigilant during my duties."

"Naps are awesome," Nagisa said. He exaggerated the yawn that followed, flopping back against the bed to stretch. "I'm going to be so sore in the morning, though. Ugh." He pinched a sore muscle distastefully. "Rin never has me dance that long."

"You didn't seem to tire."

"Yeah, because I was _dancing_." Nagisa rolled his eyes. "And you don't have to be that formal. That's the nice thing about being a dancer—I don't have to play the fancy pants game."

"I admire your athletic skills," Rei said stiffly. "I do not wish to insult you, Mr. Hazuki."

"_Mr. Hazuki?_" Nagisa groaned. "Who told you my last name?"

"Mr. Tachibana," Rei said. "He pointed me toward your quarters."

"Figures that Makoto would set me up." He sighed. "Look, call me Nagisa."

"We aren't that close."

Nagisa rolled over and pouted at the wall. "I'm still gonna call you Rei."

"We aren't that close," Rei repeated.

On any other day, Nagisa would have had a cheerful retort at the ready, but his eyelids felt like lead. His final thought before drifting off was, 'We could be.'


	4. Chapter 4

Sand stretched in all directions, but the outline of a familiar palace wavered in the distance. Haruka had spent years searching the world for wider waters than the small oasis he'd been born to. Ever since he'd ceded the throne to Rin, he'd been hunting for any sign that they weren't the last survivors. But he had encountered nothing more than mirages across the desert sands. The only sanctuary he'd found had been the home he left. The last bastion of human civilization. The last oasis.

His throat felt dry as he returned to his natal home. Not wanting to bother with people who might call out to him and treat him like a prince—even after he'd given up the throne—he covered his face and stole through the back entrance of the palace, the one used by servants. He made his way to Rin's quarters and knocked once.

"What is it?" Rin snapped. "I'm working."

Haruka pushed open the door, and Rin's eyes went wide as they met his. Breathing in deeply, he announced, "We are alone."

"Uh, yeah," Rin waved a hand at the empty room. "What are you doing here, Haru? I thought you were gonna go find some other pond to rule."

"We are alone," he repeated. He licked his dry lips—it had been months since he'd spoken, perhaps years, and his voice felt rusty. "In the world."

Rin froze. "Fuck." He covered his face. "We're—we're _what_? What the hell, Haru? Then where have you been this whole time?"

Haru gestured vaguely. His head throbbed, and he swayed before catching himself on the wall.

"Sit your ass down right this minute," Rin said sharply, rising to his feet. "Makoto? We need water in here." When Haru staggered, Rin immediately appeared at his side to support him. His voice echoed in Haru's ears as he shouted. "Makoto? Where the hell is he?"

"Rin, what—" The same old voice—Haruka turned to see his face. Concern and surprise didn't keep him from looking like the same friend he'd known years before. "_Haru?_"

"Water!" Rin snapped. He lowered Haruka onto a cushioned chair. "My kingdom for a glass of water and all that shit. And I don't mean tomorrow!"

Makoto vanished, and Haruka sank into his seat, resting his head against the back of the chair.

"I'll get Nagisa to wash your feet," Rin said. Hospitality—a creature comfort Haruka hadn't had in ages. Rin pulled Haruka's chin so that he faced him. "Stay with me, Haru. What the hell were you talking about?"

Haruka opened his mouth to describe the vast, endless sands—the way that the only water he'd found had been so salty that hardly anything remained after distilling it. Instead, his eyes fixed on Rin's face and relief spread throughout his body, relaxing his taut muscles.

"Crap, he's gonna pass out," Rin muttered. He looked up, and Haruka heard footsteps running into the room. "Nagisa, wash his feet. Makoto, give him some water, for God's sake."

The lukewarm water on his cracked feet felt like a balm. He reached out unsteady hands to take the cup from Makoto, who helped him drink—the water filled him, healing him from the inside out. After downing the last drop, his headache began at last to recede.

"Thank you," he said. He squeezed Makoto's hand awkwardly. He'd lost track of the days, but he hadn't had contact with another human since he'd left.

"I think he's delirious," Makoto said, shooting a look at Rin. Even so, his hand clenched around Haruka's. "What happened?"

"We're alone," Haruka repeated.

"Alone?" Makoto and Nagisa exchanged a look.

"Haru, you've been gone for five years," Rin said. "What the hell were you doing if you didn't find anyone?"

"I looked everywhere," he replied, closing his eyes. He saw skeletons—of marine animals as well as humans—half-buried in the unending sands. "We're all that's left."

Makoto's other hand settled on his shoulder, and comfort eased throughout Haruka's body.

"That's fucking awful," Rin said. His voice sounded raw. "I thought—God."

"How did you get back, Haru?" Nagisa asked.

"The stars." He grimaced, pressing a hand to his forehead. The water had taken the edge off of his headache, but weariness enveloped him as Nagisa toweled off his feet.

"I'm going to get him to bed," Makoto said.

Rin grunted, and Haruka felt hands lifting him up. He sagged against them, too weak to hold himself up. So few animals left in the wasteland—so little water. His body begged him to sleep. He forced his eyes open just long enough to register Rin's worried expression—and then exhaustion dragged him under.


	5. Chapter 5

Rin steepled his hands beneath his chin.

"You didn't tell me you were the last of your kind," he said.

The spirit wavered before him, his light blue eyes reflections of the pool at the heart of Rin's kingdom. "I did not know I was the last, my liege."

Sighing heavily, Rin stood. "I'm sorry." He looked away. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I serve the king who rules my oasis," the spirit said. "I will remain at your side until my waters turn to ash."

"Nitori, you have to think of yourself sometimes." Rin's hands clenched into fists. Ever since he'd taken the throne, Nitori had been the only person he'd been able to call a confidant—he couldn't task the rest of his people with the burdens of a ruler. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I knew this day would come. I've spent the last several generations attaching myself to the village rather than the pool," Nitori replied. When Rin looked up at him, he recognized the concrete gray of the spirit's hair—the color of the buildings that had withstood the bombs. "Thanks to you, I should be able to survive."

Rin pinched the bridge of his nose. "And what about my subjects?" He ground his teeth. "We're low on water, low on food, low on arable land, low on medicine..."

"Your rationing system is working."

"And they hate me for it." Rin sank back into his throne. Orders got shit done, but his people didn't like him. Haru had always had a better knack for gaining the admiration of others. Quiet and graceful in combat, unobtrusive and seldom demanding, he taught and ruled with patience.

But patience wouldn't feed the hungry—patience wouldn't replenish their oasis.

"Is this about your friend?" Nitori asked bluntly. "Haruka, the boy born heir to the throne?"

"Of course you'd know that," Rin muttered. He dragged a hand through his hair. "Yeah, this is about Haru. He was born to be king. I'm only here because he dumped the job on me."

"The king raised both of you as equals," Nitori said. "You, your sister, and Haruka all held an equal share of the throne. When Haruka renounced it, he lost all ruling legitimacy."

"They'd take him back in a heartbeat," Rin snapped. "You know that."

"You're a good leader," he insisted. "I've met a dozen or more kings—none squandered as little as you have. You alone have set the stage for recovery."

Rin said nothing. He thought of the dark day he'd lost his parents—the day the king had taken him in. He'd admired Haru then. They'd been close until jealousy had eaten away at Rin's heart.

"You could exile him," Nitori suggested. "You'd be well within your rights."

"No!" Rin stood up, then winced—the others would only be able to hear his response, not Nitori himself. He had enough problems without the others questioning his sanity. "No. He stays."

"Very well." Nitori glanced at the door to the throne room. "Many kings in the past would duel to determine legitimacy."

Rin looked down at his hands. He wanted to. The idea of fighting Haru—of proving himself worthy of the throne—sent jitters like fire beneath his skin. He clenched his hands into fists. "He's weak. He needs time to recover."

Nitori's expression softened, and Rin felt heat rise in his cheeks.

"You are a good king," Nitori told him. "Your rule will be well-regarded."

"Unless I fuck things up so bad that nobody's left." Rin groaned and buried his face in his hands as anxiety burrowed down between his shoulders, heavier than lead. "The last in the _world_, Nitori. The whole fucking country is gone."

"And yet you remain."

"And here we are." Rin looked up at Nitori. He'd been a young man of eighteen or so the entire time Rin had ruled—the last five years. When Rin had taken the throne, he'd seemed like a mentor, an advisor. As the years had passed, Rin had begun to see him as a friend—as someone to place under his fierce protection. The water rationing had been as much for Nitori as his subjects.

Nitori smiled at him, and a small part of his burden felt shared.


	6. Chapter 6

Kou hurried down the hall. Rin had shut himself up in the throne room and refused to come out once Haruka had come home, but _someone_ had to take care of the humdrum tasks that cropped up every day. 'He stole my camel!' 'She ate my beans!' 'My family needs more water!' They needed to work together to have any hope of surviving, but people would always be people, and _someone_ had to be around to grant them audiences.

Even if they were petty.

Someone turned the corner ahead of her, and Kou drew up short. She recognized the man's pecs and deltoids before his fiery hair and golden eyes.

"Captain!" she said cheerfully.

He dropped to kneel before her. "Your Highness," he said. He looked up at her, and pink tinted his bronzed face. "It—It's been quite some time."

"We see each other every day," Kou pointed out. The palace was large, but not _that_ large. Even so, they rarely interacted; at most, she usually saw him from a distance while he went about drilling the palace guards. She smiled at him. "It's always a pleasure to see you, though, of course."

"Always," Mikoshiba agreed. "Shall I escort you somewhere, Your Highness?"

"Kou," she insisted. "And sure. Maybe they'll listen better with a six foot Adonis at my side."

"Ado-what?"

Kou hid her mouth with one hand to disguise her chuckle. "A young man so handsome that the gods and goddesses fought over him. You distract them with your pretty face, and I'll get the ordinances sorted out."

"So—so you're calling me handsome?" the captain asked, standing. His eyes practically glittered, and he bounced on the balls of his feet. "You're pretty cute, yourself."

"Thanks." She beamed at him. "And, yes. Just look at those biceps! I bet you could bench press me."

"I, uh. Uh." The captain's mouth opened and shut, apparently looking for a response that didn't exist. He'd gone red to the roots of his hair. "If—if you'd like?"

"Maybe later." She winked, then turned down the corridor. "Now come on. Are you planning to help me or not?"


	7. Chapter 7

The news spread quickly. Their world had turned out to be narrower than they'd all thought—lonelier than they'd hoped. To rule the kingdom was to rule what little remained of the world. As if the world hadn't ended without them already. As if it mattered whether one small community survived. Rei knew there were too few of them to sustain a properly diverse gene pool; this scarcity rendered humanity all but extinct.

His heart sat heavy in his chest. When Captain Mikoshiba assigned him to guard duty outside Nagisa's quarters once again, he almost refused. Any time Nagisa danced, Rei never failed to find himself captured by the beauty and athleticism of the young man. So enchanted, in fact, that he lost all hope of vigilance before the prince. An assassination would decide the ruler of all the world; the stakes had risen to an alarming extent. He couldn't afford distractions.

And yet.

"You can come in and sit down, you know," Nagisa called.

Rei glanced around at him and—upon finding him in the process of undressing—hastily averted his eyes. "That would be improper, Mr. Hazuki."

"Mr. Hazuki," Nagisa repeated, clearly pouting. "Nobody's ever called me that before."

"You are of age, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah." A flumping sound from the chambers drew Rei's attention, and he saw Nagisa sprawled across his bed, skin bare. The sheen of sweat from his last dance shone in the low light of his lamps. "Makoto told me that you and I are the same age."

"Twenty-one, then," Rei said. He swallowed hard and looked away as Nagisa sighed and rolled over. Distractions. He couldn't afford this kind of—whatever this was.

"Do people call you, _'Mr. Ryuugazaki'_?"

"Was that supposed to be an impersonation of me?"

"Pretty good, huh?" Nagisa laughed. "I bet they don't, right?"

"They did," Rei said. He thought of the many hours he'd spent in school learning the formal means of address. "Did your teachers never call you by your last name?"

"Teachers?" Nagisa repeated. His voice sounded almost mystified. "No. They always called me Penguin."

"Penguin?"

"Because I was born with two left feet."

Rei frowned. "Anatomically speaking, that's not possible. Bilateral symmetry dictates that—"

"I mean that I was lousy at dancing, goofball." He laughed again, and Rei's cheeks grew hot. "Waddled like a mythological penguin."

"They weren't mythological," Rei said. "They existed. They might still exist in the south pole if it hasn't completely melted."

"Where do you pick these things up?" Nagisa patted the bed beside him noisily, and Rei looked around to see him beckoning, his other hand propping up his head as he sprawled on his belly. "Get over here. I wanna hear about these penguins. Aren't they like narwhals? Unicorns of the sea? Except maybe unicorns of the ice or something."

"Narwhals, too, were once real," Rei insisted, but he glanced down the hall—empty. "Excavators have found their remains in the desert not thirty miles from where you stand."

"Not standing," Nagisa said. "You shouldn't be, either. Just looking at you is making me tired."

"If you are tired, Mr. Hazuki, perhaps you ought to get some sleep."

Nagisa groaned. "Geez. Just get over here, would you?"

Rei pretended his breath hadn't just caught. "Why?"

"Because I like looking at your pretty face while we're talking," Nagisa said. "And because I think you're beautiful when you blush."

Heat flared in Rei's cheeks against his will. He pushed up his glasses and refused to look at Nagisa as he spoke. "You're beautiful when you dance. Not like a penguin at all."

Nagisa clapped his hands with delight, and Rei glanced over his shoulder to see him beaming. "Say that again, and I'll give you a _private_ dance."

Rei choked on air as Nagisa winked, and he thumped himself firmly on the chest to make sure his heart resumed beating. "No, thank you."

"Aww." Nagisa sighed dramatically, and Rei heard him stand and approach. He didn't reach out to touch Rei, but Rei could feel the warmth of his presence directly behind him.

He smelled like sweat and sandalwood.

"Hey, I'm not gonna bite," Nagisa said gently.

At the end of the hall, Rei spotted salvation or damnation—Captain Mikoshiba. He saluted sharply, and the captain waved back at him. "Am I relieved of my duty, Captain?" Rei asked, ignoring the tremor in his voice.

"Yeah, sure," the captain replied. "All the creeps have left."

"Thank you, sir," Rei said. "I bid you a pleasant evening, Mr. Hazuki."

Without turning to look at Nagisa, he strode down the corridor. It wasn't until three turns later that he realized he'd set out in the wrong direction.

He pushed up his glasses and leaned against a stone wall as he attempted to get his thoughts in order. Leaving in such an undignified fashion could hardly be called _beautiful—_he could have been suave and spoken calmly with Nagisa despite his nudity, he could have made Nagisa smile like that again—

Why should that be his goal? His brow furrowed. He'd become a guard to protect the prince from assassination, not to sneak into the private quarters of a dancer and join him in bed. What was beautiful about the latter? The art of fighting showed a mastery of true athleticism. He was not so base as to...to...

An image of Nagisa dancing rose unbidden in his mind's eye. His heart glowed as he thought of the sheer joy as the music took him, filled him, moved with him. If that could be called anything other than beautiful, he didn't have the vocabulary he had long prided himself on.

He pushed one hand against his chest, where his heart beat out a steady rhythm—sure and purposeful as Nagisa's dance.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Turning back to the proper path to his quarters, understanding that was not quite understanding blossomed within him.


	8. Chapter 8

Makoto's heart hurt to think of Haru wandering alone in the desert for five years. He'd given up the throne at age seventeen—the year before he would have taken over as king. In the five years that separated them, he had seen no one, found nothing but bones. All while Makoto had been fretting over Rin's health and Nagisa's isolation. All while Makoto had been safe and sound in the palace.

He held out a bowl of beans in broth to Haru, who lay propped up in bed. Protein and vitamins and rest. That's what he needed. Even so, Makoto's chest tightened.

"I'm sorry I didn't go with you," Makoto said quietly.

Haru took the bowl. "I would have told you to go home."

"I should have asked you to stay."

"You did." Haru drank a spoonful of the soup, avoiding the beans until Makoto shot him a pointed look.

"Yeah, I guess I did." Makoto looked down at his hands. He remembered that day all too well. Rin and Haru had gotten into a fight, and Haru had renounced the throne to save their friendship.

It hadn't been enough.

"How's Rin?"

"I'm doing just fine," Rin said from the doorway. "Eat your fucking soup and get better already."

Haru said nothing, but he lifted the spoon to his mouth again as Rin sat at the foot of his bed.

"He behaving himself?" Rin asked, looking sidelong at Makoto. When Makoto nodded, some small degree of relief crossed his face. "Good. I've got twenty guards who can force-feed him if he gives you any trouble."

"King Rin," Haru said, and pain blossomed across Rin's face before he could mask it. "I can stay in the commoner housing."

"You're staying _here_," Rin said firmly. He gritted his teeth. "I'm still a prince, okay? Enough—enough with this 'king' crap."

Haru glanced at Makoto, who raised his hands pacifyingly. "Now, now. Let's not argue."

Turning back to Rin, Haru's face remained blank. "Why aren't you king?"

Rin's mouth hardened into a thin line. "They wanted you to be king."

"I renounced the throne."

"They didn't renounce _you_."

"I don't want to be king," Haru said. His sun-weathered face remained impassive, but his hands clenched into fists, and determination broke into his voice. "You worked for it. You be the king."

"And yet it comes so naturally to you," Rin snapped. "A prodigy in your studies, in your duels, in everything!"

"I'm twenty-two," Haru said. "I'm just a regular person now."

"Regular." Rin spat. "If you're regular, I'm a dolphin."

"I've been talking to the guards." Haru set the bowl aside. "You're a good king."

"Prince." Rin tugged at the back of his crown—a nervous habit. "They hate the rations, they hate the laws, and they hate me."

"The rations?" Makoto repeated. "I can give some of mine up to—"

"You get exactly what they get," Rin said. "Hell, _I_ get exactly what they get. It's just that they're the ones growing it, so they don't like sharing."

Surveying Haru's unmoved face, Makoto began to wonder whether he'd forgotten how to make expressions without anyone to look back at him. He'd always been able to read Haru better than the others, though, and he understood the guilt clouding his eyes.

"Whose rations am I eating?"

"Yours." Rin stood sharply. "Kou'll have my head if I don't grant some audiences today. See you."

As Rin turned to go, hurt tugged at Haru's face, nearly imperceptible. When the door shut behind Rin, he sighed.

"I'll get you another bowl," Makoto offered, rising.

Haru's hand snapped out to grab his wrist. "I'm fine," he said, looking to one side.

Makoto sat again, this time on the side of Haru's bed. "Later, then. You don't look like you've eaten in weeks."

"I caught some birds," Haru said evasively. "There were plenty of vultures. That's how I found water."

Makoto covered his face with his free hand, imagining Haru wasting away and getting picked at by the birds. He shuddered, and Haru's grip on his wrist tightened. How long had it been since Haru had gotten contact with another person? Had he gone five years without touch before Nagisa washed his feet?

Looking up at him, he realized that Haru's eyes were lined with exhaustion. He managed a smile. "Hey, you wanna have a sleepover?" he asked. "For old time's sake?"

Haru's eyes went wide before he looked to the side once again. "Sure."


	9. Chapter 9

Several weeks had passed since Rei had first refused to join Nagisa for snuggling in bed. It figured—the first time he'd actually invited somebody, they weren't interested. Haru was the talk of the palace, even though Nagisa hadn't actually seen him up and about. Even though a scullery maid had said he'd have more luck trying Haru's room for the both of them, he'd decided to try talking to Makoto alone first.

Nagisa opened the door to Makoto's quarters. "I'm coming in!"

"Ah, Nagisa," Makoto said, blinking up at him from his bed. He covered his mouth as he yawned. "Excuse me. I didn't expect you to visit."

"It's been a while," Nagisa agreed. When he'd been a child, he'd spent most of his nights with Makoto and his siblings—now grown and working in the palace with rooms of their own. "How's Haru doing?"

"Improving," Makoto said, but worry pinched at the corners of his eyes.

Nagisa decided to lighten the mood. "You remember Rei?"

"New guard, right? Wears glasses?"

"That's the one."

Makoto smiled. "Got your eye on him?"

"I only ever see him when he's on duty," Nagisa whined, flopping onto Makoto's bed beside him. "Is he always so...so stuffy?"

"I'm not sure," Makoto said, frowning with thought. "I never see him talking to the other guards."

"I want to talk to him," Nagisa said. "Please, Makoto? Pretty please?"

"So you want to have some sort of secret rendezvous with this guy?" Makoto asked. "Should I give him the Don't Mess With My Friends talk?"

"A secret rendezvous!" Nagisa beamed. "Ooh, that'll be like spies. Star-crossed lovers! How fun." He shook his head. "But don't scare him off, Makoto! I just want to talk."

"Okay, okay," Makoto said, patting Nagisa on the shoulder. "How about you two meet here tonight?"

"Because you'll be in Haru's room?" Makoto flushed pink as Nagisa winked. "You know, I have some massage oil—"

"Nagisa!"

"He's probably sore from all that walking, right?" Nagisa stuck out his tongue as Makoto sputtered. "You go look after Haru, and I'll wait here for Rei."

"Wait here?" Makoto repeated. "He doesn't get off duty for hours."

"I'll just sleep until then." Nagisa yawned and stretched out on the bed. "Your sleepiness is catching."

"Sorry to spread it," Makoto said. He patted Nagisa's shoulder. "Want me to tuck you in?"

"Yes, Mama."

Makoto chuckled and pulled a sheet over Nagisa. "I'll go let Rei know to come here after he finishes work."

"Mmhmm." Nagisa's eyes slid closed. "Thanks, Mom."

Minutes or hours later, he heard a knock that jolted him from his sleep.

"Yes?" he called.

The door slid open, revealing Rei holding a little lantern. It cast long, flickering shadows; while Nagisa had been out, the room had gotten dark.

"You asked to see me?"

Nagisa patted the bed enthusiastically. "Yeah! I thought we could talk while you're off-duty. And maybe we could be friends."

"Very well." Rei set the lantern on the bedside table and slowly, haltingly, lowered himself onto the bed. He seemed to be holding his breath.

"I told you that I'm not gonna bite, silly." Nagisa wriggled his way over to Rei without pulling off the covers—nights were cold in the desert. He curled up against Rei's back and twisted around until he could look up at Rei's face. The low light made it hard to see, but it looked like he'd started blushing again.

"I'm not so sure about that," Rei said. "I think I saw you attempt to chomp on a zealous patron's hand before."

"Your hands don't wander, so I'm not gonna bite them." He frowned with concentration for a moment. "Hmm. Actually, if your hands were doing the wandering, I think I'd kinda like that."

"Why?" Rei asked. "Why me, specifically?"

"I could say it's because I think you're gorgeous." Nagisa snaked one hand out from beneath the sheets to reach up and touch Rei's cheek. "But you didn't like that answer last time."

Rei looked away. "I'm sorry for storming off like that," he said. "It was highly unbecoming of me."

"I can come on a little strong when I like somebody," Nagisa said. He trailed his fingers along the cold metal of Rei's glasses and adjusted his position so that his head rested on Rei's lap. "Doesn't happen very often, though. So that makes you special!" He beamed.

"I don't understand," Rei said. "Why does it have to be me?"

The grin faded on Nagisa's face, and he lowered his hand. "You know, I never went to school," he said. "I was gonna be a dancer either way. But you just assumed I'd gone to a school like you had. No one ever told me I _could_."

Rei went very still. "I'm sorry for making assumptions."

"It was nice," Nagisa continued. "Nobody's ever tried to talk to me about science and numbers and stuff." He didn't mention the sheer awe on Rei's face whenever Nagisa danced for him, the way he made him feel like he could dance forever.

"I could teach you," Rei said quickly. When Nagisa looked up at him, he blushed. "My parents are both scholars. I have a lot of resources."

"I'm not a good student," Nagisa said. "Ask Ms. Hemson." He shook his head. "I'd rather be friends with you, Rei."

For a long, still moment, Rei said nothing. "Don't friends help each other, Nagisa?"

Nagisa's heart stuttered. He didn't dare comment on the name—it'd kill him to hear _Mr. Hazuki_ after listening to his first name in Rei's mouth. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, they do." He cinched his arms around Rei's waist and buried his face in his stomach to hide his blush.

"I've never had a friend before, so you'll have to take responsibility," Rei said. "I understand the theories perfectly, though."

Nagisa smiled against Rei's side, heart glowing in his chest.

"I will."


End file.
